Welcome to the Watersheds Canada Resource Library!
Here you will find a comprehensive collection of free educational resources dedicated to helping rural shoreline property owners, families, municipalities, lake groups, and educators protect their lakes and restore natural habitat. Explore guides, best practices, case studies, lesson plans, and tools to become a freshwater protector. All resources are freely shareable so please include them in a newsletter, on social media, or printed for a community booth!
Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
What Could I Bring On My Adventure
This document is an introduction to water testing and provides a list of items to bring on an adventure. It includes a water quality test kit, thermometer, test strips, guides, notebook, binoculars, collection jar, net, and identification guides. The purpose is to help users learn about local nature and biodiversity. Users are encouraged to write down their findings, draw, and take notes while outside.
What Is A Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where water flows through or across on its way to a particular water body. It is the land where precipitation falls and flows to a common, watery place. The article discusses the concept of a watershed and its importance. The resource was created by Watersheds Canada with funding from various organizations.
What is the ribbon of life, and who lives there? A Natural Edge testimonial
Blu Mackintosh has lived along the St. Lawrence River in Ontario since 1962. Here she has seen wonderful and amazing nature and wildlife and how extreme flooding and low water levels threaten the very things she loves. In this video, she explains how The Natural Edge program was the perfect fit for her property and why she hopes more shoreline property owners will follow her example.
What I Took Away from My First Latornell Conservation Symposium
The Latornell Symposium provides a forum for practitioners, students, academics, politicians and non-government organizations to discuss challenges and opportunities in the conservation movement in Ontario while sharing new tools, techniques and strategies for natural resources management. Join staff member Monica as she attends the 2019 symposium and shares what she took away from this powerful event.
What Ive Learned as an Environmental Technician
This personal reflection from a past intern tells of everything he learned throughout his time working with Watersheds Canada, from species identification to plant care.
What Makes A River Healthy? webinar with Dr. Leigh McGaughey
This is a handout from our webinar, "What Makes a River "Healthy"? Engaging science, art, and storytelling to explore the health of the Upper St. Lawrence River". The Great River Rapport is a science-based project to assess the status and health of the Upper St. Lawrence River. It is a collaborative effort between The River Institute, Indigenous partners, scientists, educators, and communities. The project evaluates scientific data and shares the health of the river through stories, art, education, and community action. It aims to engage the community in ongoing conversations and take action to protect the river's health.
What's your favourite river?
In this blog post, National Conservation Director Chloe Lajoie celebrates World Rivers Day by sharing her favourite river and what makes it so special to her. Hear about her close ties to the St. Lawrence river and about the changes she has been able to enact for it through our shoreline naturalization program, The Natural Edge!
What, When, and How Much to Prune
Pruning involves selectively removing parts of a tree or shrub in order to benefit the plant's growth. While it may seem counterintuitive, in reality, pruning is most often completely safe for the plant and actually benefits it by allowing it reallocate energy more effectively. Read this blog post to learn what, when, and how much to prune the woody plants on your property!
White Lake: ours to preserve webinar with Conrad Grégoire and David Overholt
This is a handout from our webinar, "White Lake - Ours to Preserve". White Lake is a spring-fed lake located in four municipalities and two counties. The White Lake Preservation Project (WLPP) aims to study and document the lake's chemistry, biology, and physical characteristics. WLPP and the White Lake Property Owners Association (WLPOA) work together to preserve and improve lake water quality. Residents can contribute to the lake's protection by participating in various programs and initiatives.